A few weeks ago, Deb and David completed an overnight trip to do a health check on kiwi ‘Camy’. With no longer having access to a helicopter, it was a matter of clearing the badly storm-damaged ridge to make future trips a bit easier and quicker. Deb tells the story:
After spending all day on that, we camped in a patch of red beech on the ridge top.
The next morning, we were rewarded with a nice sunrise on the Kaweka Range, with the low-lying areas below us in thick fog.
By mid-morning, we gave up on the ridge clearing and headed off for Camy, expecting him to be close. Yeah right! After crossing a steep gully, zig-zagging through thick scrub and tip-toeing across a bog, we finally found him not far from the Middle Hill track. It was a long way back out, completing the last half hour in the dark and mist. Mission accomplished, though!
A while later, we thought we’d have a break from kiwi work and go to visit the new North Whetu Bivvy. Unfortunately, Kiwi ‘LX’ had gone awol in the area, so that was kiwi work as well.
The new bivvy is in an excellent spot, sheltered from the winds, and it catches the sun well. We checked the headwaters of the Makino River and the Rocks Ahead Stream, but there was no sign of LX. We returned the same way, via Camp Spur, having to use torches for the last hour.
Another long day.
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